At 82 years young, Mary Conway happily looked on as her daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter and great-great-grandson sat down to reminisce about the unbreakable bond they share at their annual family reunion. The get-together has reunited relatives from all over the country at Tanglewood Park for the past 21 years.
Jokingly, fourth generation Amber Price said, “I didn’t even know the park existed back then!”
It seems as though the yearly reunion will continue for many years to come. Now that Amber and a few of Mary’s other great-grandchildren have had children of their own, the total number of family members is steadily increasing.
“When I counted all of my kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids, it totaled 140. And now, it’s about 150,” said Conway.
When her first granddaughter was born, Conway made a vow that her family would reunite once a year. Having experienced the loss of a parent early on, she understood the importance of maintaining familial connections.
“My mama died at an early age, so I feel very blessed. Very few people get to see five generations; it took us over 30 years to get here,” she said.
Her granddaughter Cassandra Haymore echoed her grandmother’s sentiments.
“You usually don’t have this – you usually know someone that’s passed,” said Haymore.
Clearly, not one of the five generations takes their mutual bond for granted.
Second-generation Cheryl Quarells said, “I am thankful that my mother is able to witness this at her age.”
Even the youngest generation felt the same as his predecessors. When asked how he feels to be in the fifth generation, toddler Adonis Warner simply said, “I feel good.”
To continue their impressive legacy, the five generations said they make sure to meet up whenever possible and hold memorable celebrations throughout the year for the entire family.
Of their bond, Quarells said, “It’s very close; we still get together whenever we can.”
Haymore said her favorite times are “definitely holidays, Thanksgiving,” while Quarells said she enjoys seeing memories made at the annual family reunion.
Together, they said by showcasing their family ties, they hope to stress the importance of staying connected from generation to generation.
“You don’t get to see this much anymore, because people stray away from their parents and their brothers and sisters. If we strayed away, we wouldn’t even know there is five generations,” said Price.
And although she is already responsible for birthing the fifth generation, Price said she one day aspires to be a magnificent matriarch just like her great-grandmother.
“I hope to see five generations when I get up in age,” said Price.
